Senators say 2017 appropriation bill messier than 2016 budget

According to a report by The Punch, Nigerian Senators have described the 2017 Appropriation Bill as "messier" than the 2016 budget. The Senators made this statement during a plenary session on the floor of the Senate.

The Senators expressed their frustration with the complexity of the 2017 budget, which they claimed was filled with unnecessary details and lacked clarity. They also criticized the budget for not providing adequate details on how the funds would be utilized.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje, was quoted as saying that the 2017 budget was "messier" than the 2016 budget because it contained more details and was more complex.

The Senators also expressed their disappointment with the lack of transparency in the budget process, saying that they were not given adequate information about the budget before it was presented to the Senate.

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, also expressed his concerns about the budget, saying that it was "too complex" and needed to be simplified.

The 2017 Appropriation Bill was presented to the Senate in December 2016 and was passed in May 2017. The budget was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in June 2017.

It's worth noting that the 2017 budget was the first budget presented by the Buhari administration, and it was criticized by many for being too complex and lacking clarity. The budget was also criticized for not providing adequate details on how the funds would be utilized.

The criticism of the 2017 budget by the Senators highlights the challenges faced by the Buhari administration in managing the country's finances and the need for greater transparency and accountability in the budget process.